Green-corn-husking machine.



PATENTED MAR. 17, 1908.`

W. J. LATCHFORD. GREEN CORN HUSKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MABJG. 1907.

allai/0701 WILLIAM'J. 'LATCHFORD,.OF CHICAGO, ILLINIS.

GREENCORN-HUSK-NG` MACHINE Specification of Letters Patent;

Patented March' 17,1908.

Application led March 16, 1907. vSerial No. 362,605.

To all 'whom itlmay concem:

Be it known that I,.W1LL1AM.J.LATCHF0RB,1 a citizen of the VUnited States, residing at. Chicago, in the county` of CookandfState of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Green-Corn-Husking -Ma chines, of which ,the following isa specification, reference being` had to the accompany-- ing drawings, forming a part thereof..l

The purpose of thisfinventionl is to provide an improved device for husking green corni..

It consists in the elements of constructionV for thatpurpose shown and described and in'- dicated in the claims.

In the drawings z-Figure 1 isa plan view of .a machine embody-ing ,thisY invention.: Fig. 2 isa section at the line4 2--2 ;on Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is-an edge elevation of .a husk engaging roller which assists in strippingA the. huskn from the ear.

Upon any suitable table or support, A, Vthere i are mounted the vertical driving shafts, B, B, driven by a shaft, C, below lthe-table said shafts being connected at theinlower endsbyl .bevel gears, C1, B1, on thehorizontal and vertical shafts respectively, .thehorizontal shaft,

C, having a pulley, Cz, by which powen-isv communicate for operating the-machine: Pivotally mounted about the vertical shaftsy: B, B, are horizontally-swingingA frames' ori brackets, l), D, which extend c onvergingly in the Vsame direction from. their respective vertical shafts, B, 'above the` table and Aproject past the margin thereof. the endsof these brackets remote from 'the shafts onwhich they are ivoted therearejournaled y vertical shafts, .4, E, which project-up from.;

l. their bearings in the ends-of theebracketsre spectively beyond themarginofthe table'` and are provided eachy with two sprocket wheels, F;, corresponding sprocket wheels, G, being .fast on the.x shafts, B, above thetablef.

' Each sprocket wheel, G, is connected withthe corresponding sprocketlwheeljfiF, by a. link belt or chain, J, whose linksare-providedwith barbs, K, projecting in the plane .of travel of the chains andinto the space be'- tween the opposed .link belts orchains on: the two swingingbrackets:v respectively. A. spring,L, connects the swinging. brackets'op-.` erating to draw them toward each other'at their ends remote from theshaftse'on whichthey are respectively vpivoted, stops, M, My

. being provided on theitable to limit their ape..

proach. f TheLtwo link belts or chains carriedby-,each bracket are spaced-from each other any distance which. is designed to be substantially half'the. average diameter of the earsto be husked, including the husks, and the lower'of: z.

the two. chains has the path of travel `of its' barbs about half that distance-above the sur face ofthe tables- The stops, M, are so flo'- cated lthat-at their point of nearest approach' to each other the. opposed chains are sepa. rated far cenough to avoid any danger of their barbs becoming entangled, .and they may be l prevented from approachingv nearer than about the diameter of theicob of the corn to be husked; Oni the: table` in .the tapered terval betweenv the paths offthes'opposed'- chains there iswmounted-a guidel trough'fl,` for the= ears of corn to be huskedfwhichex-tv tends far enough' toward the point of nearest approach ofthe chains =sof-thatan. earflodged therein: :will be supported 'while its. smaller. end-isi advanced -,so= :thatx the fhuski will 5 bev grasped by the barbs and the ear.; thereby drawn `:onward between Ithe-opposedv chains.

The formfof -the barbs, K-,wis referablyK sprocket-wheels-and thereby diverge from-f each-other and therefore from the axis of the ear. The.ear,-S, is shown in the drawings: havingits husk split -at s before entering be tween the barbedI chains.. Such splitting may, be done inany manner andy means not shown. Each of the two. halves o f the split husk willrbe engaged at-two-lines- *lby the two barbed chains atene side,=-and thesevengagements occurring respectively above'and below lthe horizontalplane of the 1100 axis of the ear-adapt the device to foldfback T any the huskl l'from the plane of the split whilealso rolling it back commencing at the for-- ward end.

Any' mea'ns riot shown may be employed 105 to advance the ear; and this .can be done .by the hand of the o erator using each earto pushfthe one ahea of it.

For insuringthe-retention of the huskson the barbed chains while they are travelingllo aroundthe outer or forward sides of. the-r sprocket wheels, F, to the side of said wheels scribed and shown in iiofiiiiiseiae" 'i iingerS, W, W,

opposite the ear, l provide for each pair of sprocket chains, on each side, a husk-engaging roller, T, having grooves, t, t, roperly disposed to accommodate the bar s on the chains. These rollers are mounted on the brackets, D, preferably in boxes arranged for movement toward and from the s rocket wheels, F, springs, U, being provided to press the rollers toward the sprocket wheels and thereby against the barbed link belts for pressing the husks against the belts so as to cause them to strongly enough to enable the barbed belts to draw the ear of corn into the throat between tlie two opposed pairs of belts and strip the husks effectively, and particularly to cause the grasp of the barbed belts on the husk to be sufficient to detach the husk from the ear at the base when it has been fully stripped back to that point, and to eject the ear by the filial impulse which it receives when the husk is snapped or torn free at the base. For stripping the husk from the belt on which it has been thus closely pressed by the rolls asl described, l provide stripping which are supported by any convenient means, as upon the brackets, D, and forked and project astride the barbs on the belts respectively at a point in their path be ond the rolls, U'.

t will be understood that the elements described as barbs, 7c, as shown are more than merely projecting teeth, since they are designed not merely to penetrate the husk but to engage with it fordirect pull oif from the ear; and for this reason they are dethe form of hooked teeth or barbs; that is, teeth having offset projections adapted to engage behind the iusk when they have penetrated it to exert a direct pull upon it laterally with respect to the ear to strip the husk away from the latter. The word bar as employed in the claims, is to be understood in this sense. These teeth, however, without regard to their barbed form, merely considered as teeth projecting from the belt when associated with the roller, T, for holding the husk on to the endless belts, operate for stripping the ear by virtue of the initial disengagement which they effect oif the end of the husk, which, as soon as it is engaged between the roller and the chain, is effectively held for further stripping without requiring material assistance from the barbed form of the teeth; and in combination with such roll the toothed belt may be operated as a husking device without regard to the character of the teeth as being specifically barbs.

l. A green corn husking machinecomprising a pair of endless belts opposed to each other and provided with teeth projecting into the intervals between their proximate plies, saidgteeth'gbeing angularlyjhookedjwith be held and engaged` their points extending forward in the direction of travel of the belts; means by which such belts are carried and driven, longitudinally with respect to the position of the ears to be husked, in the same direction and at substantially the same speed at their proximate plies, and means for supporting and guiding the ears into the path of the teeth as the belts travel.

2. A green corn husking machine comprising a pair of opposed endless belts provided with projecting teeth which are angularly hooked with their points extending forward in the direction of travel of the belts means by which such belts are carried so that their proximate plies converge towards the forward end of their path; means for driving said proximate plies in the same direction and at substantially the same speed, and means for supporting and guiding the ears into the path of the teeth asl the belts travel.

3. A green corn husking machine comprising a pair of endless link belts opposed to each other and having their links provided withbarbs projecting into the interval between their paths; sprocket wheels by which such belts are driven and carried; yielding means connecting the bearings of the res ective sprocket wheels at the forward end o the path of their proximate lies, and a support and guide for the ears o corn to be husked located between said plies back of the point of nearest approach.

4. A green corn huskin machine coin rising two pairs of endless link belts, the elts of each pair being parallel, the corresponding belts of the two pairs being op osed to each other; sprocket wheels by which such belts are carried, such opposed beltsbeing mounted with their proximate plies converging toward the forward end of their path; means for driving their proximate plies in the same direction and at substantially the same speed means yieldin ly connecting their forward sprocket whee s, the belts having barbs projecting into the intervals between their proximate ears o corn located in such interval'.

5. A green corn husking machine comprising a table for supporting the ears of corn to be husked; two parallel vertical shafts extending through the table; means for rotatin said shafts in opposite directions; horizontal brackets pivoted on said shafts respectively and extending therefrom convergingly past the margin of the table; a spring connectinor their proximate ends and stops on the table limiting their approach; shafts journaled in their proximate ends parallel with the first-mentioned shafts respectively; sprocket wheels on all said shafts and endless link belts about the sprocket wheels connecting the two shafts in each bracket, the links of said belts being provided with barbs projecting into the interval between plies, and a support and guide for the their roximate plies for engaging the husks with dii the table there-between.

6. In a green corn husking machine, in combination with a barbed belt for engaging and stripping the husks from the ears; a huskretamin y roller mounted for pressure toward the be t at a point beyond the enga ement of the latter with the husks, the roller being grooved to accommodate the barbs, and means for stri ing the husks from the belts beyond the roplliers.

7. In a green corn husking machine, in combination with a pair of toothed belts for engaging the husks and means for guiding the ear to be husked between them and holding them yieldingly pressed toward each other to grasp the ear; husk-engaging rollers mounted for pressure toward the toothedbelts respectively beyond the engagement of thelatter with the husks, and means Jfor stripping e ears of corn which may be lodged on l l the husks from the belts beyond such rollers.

8L In a green corn husking machine, in l combination with an endless toothed belt; an ear-feeding element opposed thereto and means for guiding the ear to be husked between said toothed belt and such opposed element; a roller mounted for pressure against the toothed belt at a point beyond the engagement of the latter with the husks toy retain the husks on the belt by means of stripping the husks from the belt beyond the roller.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Chicago, Illinois, this 8th day of March, A. D., 1907, in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM J. LATCHFORD.

In the presence of- M. GERTRUDE ADY, J.. S. ABBOTT. 

